Dreams: How the Light Gets In

I've had a lot of insights about my life in the last few months as I've gone through my Soul Coaching® training, followed by my own 28-day experience of the program.

The words of Leonard Cohen's song "Anthem" seemed to provide the soundtrack for some of my experiences, and I share part of the lyrics because it has everything to do with dreams and soul.

The birds they sang at the break of day
Start again I seemed to hear them say.
Do not dwell on what has passed away
or what has yet to be.

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering.
There is a crack, a crack in everything.
That's how the light gets in.

We are all cracked. In fact one of my teachers said that our parents give us our "sacred wounds." I would broaden that to life in general.

We develop into who we are by the challenges we are presented with and the choices we make as we respond to these experiences. We are all cracked and wounded, and that gives us our jumping-off point for our psychological and spiritual growth.

Dreams provide us with the way to see where the cracks are and, at the same time, dreams are the vessels that carry the light. Dreams illuminate our foibles, our fears, and our strengths, and they show us our spirit. Dreams carry the light into the cracks and help us heal.

So Mr. Cohen has it right. The instructions for life and dreaming are right there in his lyrics. "Start again ... do not dwell on what has passed away or what is yet to be ... that's how the light gets in ..."

I'll leave it to you to unpack his poetry and find meaning that speaks to your own life and dreams. But this is clear: your dreams will help you bring in the light of your spirit and of Spirit.

When I wish you "sweet dreams," know that I'm am wishing you nothing less than enlightenment and self-knowledge through your dreams.